Started in 2022, the Before Freedom project chronicles the daily lives of the Palestinian people. From Jerusalem to Jericho, from Haifa to Hebron and even Bethlehem, it offers a glimpse of a historic Palestine, where children play, families have picnics, and friends gather by the sea to share a meal… These are moments that celebrate being together here and now, yet they are also punctuated by the presence of soldiers, checkpoint crossings, and views of a wall that divides… Rouhana challenges the conventions of photojournalism and goes beyond the confines of news coverage. Contrary to any documentary approach, he reveals the political complexity at play: issues of territory, cultural identity, and a present that is constantly on the brink. Time seems suspended here. Bathed in natural light, Rouhana’s images offer a counter-narrative—that of a daily life where a sense of oppression permeates nearly every frame. Before Freedom presents a Palestinian’s perspective on his community, far removed from recurring clichés. Geographies, ties to the land, the persistence of a culture, collective spirit, and the contours of an identity: Adam Rouhana’s photographs function as acts of resistance. This visual body of work is accompanied by three essays by Ahdaf Soueif, Mosab Abu Toha, and Taous Dahmani.